Before we get to those though, I’ve got a quick note: This is going to be my last post on The Bits for a couple weeks. There are a couple reasons for this. First, I need a break. For the last several months now I’ve been working myself ragged without much of a let up. One of the problems – good to have, but problems no less – of running your own business is that there’s no end to the amount of hours you can work. So, I am sorely in need of a good staycation to recharge the batteries. The other reason, though, is that my wife and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year. Our actual anniversary is in the Fall, but we’re going to be busy then with other things, so we’ve decided to celebrate early this year. Anyway, I hope you all understand and I appreciate your patience. I’ll be back on March 4th to resume business as usual. Meanwhile, back to those reviews… [Read on here…]

We do have one bit of actual release news to report today, which is that Criterion has officially announced their May slate of Blu-ray releases, which are set to include: Leo McCarey’s Make Way for Tomorrow (Spine #505 – Blu-ray and DVD), Charlie Chaplin’s Limelight (Spine #756 – Blu-ray, DVD and Hulu Plus), and Mark Rydell’s The Rose (Spine #757 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 5/19, and Carlos-Gavras’ The Confession (Spine #759 – Blu-ray, DVD and Hulu Plus) and State of Siege (Spine #760 – Blu-ray and DVD), and Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s The Merchant of Four Seasons (Spine #758 – Blu-ray, DVD and Hulu Plus) on 5/26. You can visit the official website for all the details on extras.

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for these new Criterion titles (Amazon pre-orders are not available yet as of the time of this posting and will be added later)…

And that’s it for now. As I said, we’ll be back here at The Bits on March 4th to catch you all up on the latest Blu-ray and DVD release news. We’ll have more new disc reviews, and more new columns too. Thanks again for your patience and my very best to you all until then. Peace out!

In announcement news today, Warner has FINALLY made The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies official on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on 3/24 (SRP $44.95 for the Blu-rays and $28.98 for the DVD). We covered all the details and posted the artwork yesterday, but one additional note is that the discs will include a behind-the-scenes video on the making of The Last Goodbye music video. We expect the Extended Edition of the film to be released on Blu-ray and DVD in November.

In other release news today, Anchor Bay and Starz have set Tim Burton’s Big Eyes for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/14, starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. The disc will include The Making of Big Eyes featurette and Q&A Highlights.

Also, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has set Journey into the Pyramid for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/5, with a digital version arriving on 4/17.

And Lionsgate will release the After Dark title Bedlam on DVD on 4/28, with a digital release due on 4/14.

Here’s a little bit more cover artwork…

We’ll be back tomorrow with no less than FOUR more new Blu-ray reviews, so be sure to check back in the morning. Stay tuned…

This is just a quick post to let you all know that our own Russell Hammond has updated the Release Dates & Artwork section as usual with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links. Just click on RELEASE DATES & ART in the menu above. As always, a portion of anything you order from Amazon after clicking through to them from our links goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we really appreciate it!

All right, as I said there’s not a ton of announcement news today, but while the press release hasn’t yet hit the wires, Warner and New Line’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is now official for pre-order on Amazon on 3/24, and there’s now final cover artwork and details on the extras. You’ll get 3 documentary featurettes (Recruiting the Five Armies, Completing Middle-Earth, and New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth – Part 3), plus Billy Boyd’s The Last Goodbye music video. Below you’ll find the final official cover artwork for all four versions – the Blu-ray 3D Combo, the Blu-ray Combo, the DVD, and The Hobbit: Theatrical Trilogy Blu-ray set.

In other news today, Warner has announced the Island of Lemurs: Madagascar IMAX for Blu-ray Combo and digital release on 3/31.

Warner has set The John Wayne Western Collection for Blu-ray release on 6/2, including Rio Bravo, The Train Robbers, Fort Apache, and Cahill: U.S. Marshall. Of these, we believe that The Train Robbers and Cahill are new to the format.

Speaking of Warner, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies is now officially up for pre-order on Amazon with a street date of 3/24 on Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD. We expect the official announcement any time now. [Read on here…]

Warner has also set the animated Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts for Blu-ray, DVD and digital release on 5/12.

And Warner has officially announced a pair of new TCM Greatest Classic Legend Film Collections for DVD only release on 4/7 (SRP $27.92 each) including Maureen O’Hara – includes The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Dance, Girl, Dance (1940), The Spanish Main (1945), and The Wings of Eagles (1957) – and Debbie Reynolds – Singin’ in the Rain (1952), How the West Was Won (1963), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), and The Singing Nun (1966).

Meanwhile, it looks as if Mill Creek Entertainment is releasing a pair of Three Stooges Collection: Triple Feature Blu-rays on 4/21 (SRP $14.98). Volume One will include Time Out for Rhythm (1941), Rockin’ in the Rockies (1945), and Have Rocket, Will Travel (1959), while Volume Two will include The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962), Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963), and The Outlaws Is Coming (1965).

Also, Starz and Anchor Bay have just set For the Boys for Blu-ray release on 4/7.

BBC Entertainment will release Call the Midwife: Season Four on DVD and Blu-ray on 5/19.

Image Entertainment will release Zombieworld on DVD and digital on 2/24.

Lionsgate will release Son of a Gun and Vice on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/17, followed by Wild Card on both formats on 3/31.

MVD Entertainment will release the Arrow Films US titles Retaliation (1969), Society (1989) and Island of Death (1976) on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on 5/12, 5/19, and 5/26 respectively. Each has an SRP of $39.95 and includes substantial extras. Retaliation will be limited to 3,000 copies.

Here’s a little bit of new cover artwork (click on the images to pre-order on Amazon)...

We’ve got more cool announcement news today from Universal: The studio is releasing a new Clint Eastwood: The Universal Pictures 7-Movie Collection on both Blu-ray and DVD on 5/5, set to include High Plains Drifter, The Eiger Sanction, Coogan’s Bluff, Play Misty for Me, Joe Kidd, Two Mules for Sister Sara, and The Beguiled. Of these, The Eiger Sanction, Coogan’s Bluff, Play Misty for Me, and The Beguiled are new to Blu-ray here in the States.

While we’re on the catalog front, Warner Home Video is re-issuing John Ford’s Fort Apache on Blu-ray on 6/2. The film stars John Wayne and Henry Fonda. You can see the cover artwork below.

Lionsgate has officially announced Manhattan: Season One for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/7. Extras will include select episode audio commentaries with the cast and crew, and 4 featurettes (Ground Zero: Bringing the Bomb to Screen, P.O. Box 1663: Creating a City that Didn’t Exist, Now I Am Become Death: J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Recreating an Era: Manhattan Costume Design).

Lionsgate has also set A Most Violent Year for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/7. The film stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Both versions will include audio commentary with writer/director J.C. Chandor and producers Neal Dodson and Anna Gerb, deleted scenes, 3 featurettes (Behind the Violence, A Conversation with Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac, and The Contagious Nature of Violence: The Origins of A Most Violent Year), Inner City Crew outtakes, and the We Can Cure Violence PSA.

Our friends at the Warner Archive have just made Far from the Madding Crowd (1967) available on Blu-ray, along with They Gave Him a Gun (1937), The Murder Man (1935), Speed (1936 – the first film starring James Stewart), Bronco: The Complete Third Season (1960-61), and Road Rovers: The Complete Series (1996)on DVD. They have also just made Michael Collins (1997), Star 80 (1983), The First Deadly Sin (1980), and Lovesick (1983) available on DVD for the first time in widescreen. You can shop for these titles and more from Warner Archive at this link.

PBS Distribution has announced the DVD only release of Frontline: Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA on 3/24, followed by Frontline: Putin’s Way on 3/31.

And Entertainment One will release Grace on DVD and digital on 2/24.

In other news today, the TCM Festival is apparently world premiering FOUR new film restorations this year, including Apollo 13 (1995) and Spartacus (1960) from Universal, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) from Warner, and Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) by the Cohen Film Collection. Carl Davis is apparently going to conduct the world premiere of his new score for Steamboat Bill Jr. live during the screening. We’re doing a little digging to see which may get new Blu-ray releases in the coming months, so stay tuned. The TCM Festival runs from March 26th to the 29th in Hollywood. Visit this website for more information.

Here’s some more cover new BD cover artwork. Click on the covers to pre-order at Amazon...

Today’s big announcement news is that Universal will release Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/24. The Blu-ray will include deleted scenes, 4 featurettes (Inside Unbroken, Prison Camp Theater: Cinderella, Louis’ Path to Forgiveness, and The Real Louis Zamperini), and video of a cast and crew concert featuring Miyavi. The digital version will be available on 3/10. You can see the cover artwork to the left and also below. [Read on here…]

And while we’re talking about Warner, the studio has just set Gotham: Season One, The Flash: Season One, and Arrow: Season Three for Blu-ray pre-order. We don’t have street dates yet. Here’s the temp art WHV has posted, so just click on each to visit the Amazon pre-order pages...

In other news today, 20th Century Fox has set Wild for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/31, starring Reese Witherspoon. The Blu-ray will include audio commentary by director Jean-Marc Vallée, with Bruna Papandrea and David Greenbaum, deleted scenes with optional commentary, 4 featurettes (The Real Cheryl Strayed, The Real Location Is the Best Location, Experiencing the PCT: A Special Message from Cheryl Strayed, and How Much Does a Monster Weigh?), 7 promotional featurettes (Bringing the Book into the Wild, Reese Witherspoon in the Wild, Wild: 94 Days, 1100 Miles, Directing Wild, Making Wild, Pacific Crest Trail, and Real Locations), a Pacific Crest Trail Interactive Map, an image gallery, and the film’s theatrical trailer.

Fox will also release Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/10.

Meanwhile, Starz and Anchor Bay have set The Immigrant for Blu-ray release on 4/7, starring Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Renner, and Joaquin Phoenix.

Starz and Anchor Bay have also set Da Vinci’s Demons: The Complete Second Season for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/10. Extras will include 4 featurettes (New Sets, Creating the World, A Closer Look, and The Journey Begins: Season 1 Recap).

Lionsgate will release The Voices on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/7.

And finally, Music Box Films will release Anthony Powell’s Antarctica: A Year on Ice documentary on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/24.

Here’s a look at a whole bunch of new Blu-ray cover artwork for some of the titles we’ve mentioned above. Amazon pre-order links are included if available (just click on the covers) and remember that doing so through our links helps to support our work here at The Bits and we surely do appreciate it...

In release news today, Warner Home Video has made their forthcoming Gravity: Two Disc Diamond Luxe Special Edition Blu-ray release official for 3/31. SRP is $24.98. All of the existing Blu-ray special features will be included, along with three new items: The Gravity: Silent Space version of the film with an introduction by director Alfonso Cuaron, the new Looking to the Stars: The Evolution of Space documentary, and video of Sandra Bullock’s on-set birthday wishes to Cuaron.

Meanwhile, Scream Factory has set the Vicious Brothers’ Extraterrestrial for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/12, including audio commentary with the Vicious Brothers and actors Brittany Allen and Melanie Papalia, deleted scenes, The Making of Extraterrestrial featurette, and a theatrical trailer.

Paramount has just set a Mahogany: The Couture Edition for DVD only release on 5/5, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the film, which stars Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams.

Also today, our friends at Twilight Time have offered up a sneak peek at some of their planned Blu-ray releases for the first half of 2015, and there are some real gems in the mix. Among them are: The Bounty (1984), Solomon and Sheba (1959), First Men in the Moon (1964 – 5,000 units), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 – 4K restoration, 5,000 units), and U-Turn (1997) on 3/10, Zardoz (1974) in March or April (TBA), The Story of Adele H. (1975), The Fantasticks (1995), April Love (1957), The Remains of the Day (1993), and Richard III (1995) on 4/14, A Man for All Seasons (1966), Mississippi Burning (1988), American Buffalo (1996), Hombre (1967), and Carla's Song (1996) on 5/12, and Absolute Beginners (1986), State of Grace (1990), Mississippi Mermaid (1969), The Young Lions (1958), and The Night of the Generals (1967) on 6/9. Unless otherwise noted, all are limited to 3,000 units each.

Also today, Lionsgate has set three DVD only titles for release in April, including Bark Ranger and The End of the Civil War on 4/14, and Wingman Inc. on 4/21.

And TV Shows on DVD is reporting that Timeless Media is getting ready to release The Saint: The Complete Series on DVD on 5/26 (SRP $199.98). This of course is the classic Roger Moore series.

In other news today, when HBO’s Game of Thrones: The Complete Fourth Season streets on Blu-ray and DVD next week (on 2/17), it looks as if Walmart, Best Buy, and Target will all have retail-exclusive packaging, swag, and bonus disc content. We don’t yet know what will be on the bonus discs, but you can expect different exclusive featurettes on each version. Check your local stores for details.

Speaking of Game of Thrones, HBO has posted a behind-the-scenes teaser of the upcoming fifth season on YouTube. You can view it here [very mild spoilers apply]…

In other news today, we’ve given the Shout! Factory TV Roku app a little test drive and it works pretty well. The select of available content is a bit limited at the moment, but the quality is good and it’s completely free. You just sit through about 90 seconds of commercials at the front and then your program begins playing. As they add more content, we definitely think Shout!’s got a winner with this new service.

Also today, we have word that Best Buy (in the U.S.) and Future Shop (in Canada) are going to have retail-exclusive Steelbook versions of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies on regular Blu-ray Combo. This is in addition to Target’s retail-exclusive version of the regular Blu-ray Combo that comes with Lego Mini-figures of Bard and Bain.

Speaking of which, our retail sources have provided larger versions of what we believe is the final (or near-final) cover artwork for the standard Blu-ray 3D Combo and Blu-ray Combo versions of Warner’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. The street date is expected to be sometime in late March – either 3/17, 3/24 or 3/31 (if we had to take a guess, we’d say 3/24). In any case, you can expect the official announcement very soon.

We’ll leave you today with a little more new BD cover artwork for other newly-announced titles as well...

The big news today is all Shout! Factory. They’re launching a new digital entertainment streaming service called Shout! Factory TV. This will include a website – ShoutFactoryTV.com – and also a downloadable app for your Roku device. More than 2,500 hours of movies and full-length TV episodes are available now for free viewing, and more will be added with time. According to Shout!, the service will offer the highest quality video available for all titles, free-to-consumer ad-supported video viewing, original videos and special bonus behind-the-scenes featurettes, and even live programming stunts, such as the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Turkey Day Marathon. Cool news indeed! [Read on here…]

While we’re talking Shout!, the company has Gun Woman due on Blu-ray on 5/26, as well as Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (BD) and Maya: The Bee Movie (Blu-ray 3D Combo) due for release on 5/19.

Meanwhile, their Scream Factory label has announced a pair of new double feature BD titles for May and they’re now available for pre-order on Amazon.com, including Empire of the Ants/Jaws of Satan and The Food of the Gods/Frogs. Both are due on 5/26. They also have Stigmata coming on BD on 5/19, and their Mad Max: Collector’s Edition is now available for pre-order on Amazon as well with a street date of 5/5. You can see the cover art and pre-order links for many of these titles below.

In other release news, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially set their remake of Annie for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/17.

Warner Home Video has announced a Tom and Jerry: The Gene Deitch Collection for DVD only release on 6/2, with 13 remastered shorts produced by Deitch. They include Switchin’ Kitten, Down and Outing, It’s Greek to Me-ow!, High Steaks, Mouse Into Space, Landing Stripling, Calypso Cat, Dicky Moe, The Tom & Jerry Cartoon Kit, Tall in the Trap, Sorry Safari, Buddies Thicker Than Water, and Carmen Get It! There will also be 2 featurettes – Tom and Jerry... and Gene: The Rembrandt Years and Much Ado About Tom and Jerry.

Gorgon Video has set a double feature of Roommates/A Woman for All Men for Blu-ray Combo release on 3/24.

Arts Alliance America has set Believe Me for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/3.

StarVista Entertainment and Time Life have moved the street date for The Carol Burnett Show: Together Again on DVD from 2/10 to 2/24. Adjust your plans accordingly.

Kino Lorber has announced that they’ve acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Guy Maddin’s The Forbidden Room after its recent Sundance Film Festival debut. Expect a home video release later in 2015.

And we’ve spoken with Mill Creek Entertainment and learned that their forthcoming BD release of The Lady from Shanghai will be produced from the same 4K master used for the TCM BD release. There will be no special features. Street date is 3/17.

Finally today, here’s some good news: We’re getting word from Warner that the fixed replacement discs for the Batman: The Complete Television Series Blu-ray and DVD sets are starting to ship out, and earlier than expected. You should receive an e-mail when your discs are on the way. Watch your mailboxes over the next few weeks. If you haven’t already requested an exchange for your BD and DVD copies, you can do so at this website: http://www.shipment-service.com/batman66/

Here’s a bunch of new Blu-ray and DVD cover artwork (with Amazon pre-order links if available) for some of the titles we’ve mentioned above...

In announcement news today, Shout! Factory has set The Nanny: The Complete Series for 19-disc DVD release on 5/26. Extras will include new interviews and commentary with star Fran Drescher and more.

Timeless Media, which is a division of Shout! Factory, has set The Red Skelton Show: All Time Favorites, Shane: The Complete Series, and Fireball XL5: The Complete Series for DVD only release on 3/10, followed by Tom Sawyer (1973) on DVD on 3/24.

Anchor Bay and Amplify have set The Better Angels for DVD only release on 3/3.

The big news today is that 20th Century Fox has officially set Alejandro Iñárritu’s Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/17. The film is already available digitally. Extras on both disc versions will include Birdman: All-Access and a gallery of Chivo’s on-set photos. To this, the Blu-ray will add the A Conversation with Michael Keaton and Alejandro G. Iñárritu featurette. The running time for the feature is 119 minutes, with audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English 5.1 Descriptive Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 DTS (subtitles are English SDH, Spanish and French). You can see the cover artwork to the left and also below. [Read on here…]

In other news today, Scream Factory has unveiled the cover artwork for their forthcoming Mad Max: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, which is due to street on 5/5. The extras are still TBA, but will include an all-new exclusive interview with star Mel Gibson. Here’s the cover artwork (note that it’s not yet available for pre-order on Amazon)...

Meanwhile, Warner Home Video is releasing Longmire: The Complete Third Season on DVD only on 3/3 (SRP $39.98). Never fear though if you’d rather buy the Blu-ray version – Warner Archive is going to be releasing that on 3/3 as well (SRP $40.99).

Warner has also set Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy-Doo!: The Complete Season 1 for DVD only release on 4/28 (SRP $19.97). The set will include 16 episodes.

Also today, we’ve got an update for you on the June release of Judgment at Nuremberg and Inherit the Wind from Kino Lorber (which we mentioned yesterday on The Bits). Kino confirms they will be DVD only, as Twilight retains the BD rights. Adjust your plans accordingly.

And Paramount has set Chris Rock’s Top Five for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/17, with the digital release due on 3/3. Extras on the Blu-ray will include audio commentary by Chris Rock and JB Smoove, deleted scenes, and 4 featurettes (It’s Never Just A Movie: Chris Rock and Top Five, The Making of Top Five, Top Five Andre Allen Standup Outtakes, and Top Five Moments You Didn’t See in the Film).

First up, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has finally revealed the details of the extras you’ll find on the Exodus: Gods and Kings Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D combos when they arrive in stores on 3/17. [Read on here…]

As with previous Fox BD titles, you’ll only get all the extras if you buy the Blu-ray 3D Combo. Disc One of that set will be a standard Blu-ray with the film in HD, the feature-length The Exodus Historical Guide trivia track, 9 deleted and extended scenes, and audio commentary by director/producer Ridley Scott and co-screenwriter Jeffrey Caine. Disc Two holds the lion’s share of the extras (produced as always by longtime Scott collaborator Charles de Lauzirika), including the Keepers of the Covenant documentary (featuring 14 Enhancement Pods), The Lawgiver’s Legacy: Moses Throughout History documentary, The Gods and Kings Archive, promotional featurettes for the film (including the HBO First Look), and 11 galleries. Disc Three is a Blu-ray 3D offering the film in high-definition 3D. Finally, Disc Four is a DVD edition including the film in SD, the deleted scenes, and the commentary. All versions of the film will be the 150-minute theatrical cut, with audio in English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, and English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Note that the regular Blu-ray release will include just Disc One (the standard movie BD) and Three (the DVD). You can see the cover artwork below.

Meanwhile today, Kino Lorber has set street dates for their April slate of classic and catalog Blu-ray titles as follows: Tales of Terror (1962), Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968), Woman of Straw (1964), and Late for Dinner (1991) are all due 4/14, while Convoy (1978), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Wild at Heart (1990), Barquero (1970), and The White Buffalo (1977) are all due on 4/28.

Kino’s May slate (street dates TBA) is currently expected to include Premature Burial (1962), X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes (1963), The Train (1964), River of Death (1989), Revenge of the Ninja (1983), Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964), Kings of the Sun (1963), The McKenzie Break (1970), The Secret Invasion (1964), They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), and The Organization (1971).

[Editor’s Note: We’ve confirmed with Kino that their June release of Judgment at Nuremberg and Inherit the Wind will be DVD only, as Twilight retains the BD rights.]

And announced thus far for July are Malice (1993), The Onion Field (1979), Deranged (1974), Real Men (1987), and Life Stinks (1991).

Note that Kino’s anticipated BD releases of F/X2 (1991) and The Crimson Cult (1968) have been postponed. New dates will be announced soon.

Also today, Lionsgate has set Yellowbird for DVD and digital release on 4/7, followed by Power Rangers Super Megaforce: The Perfect Storm, I Really Hate My Ex, and Whitney on DVD and digital on 4/14, and Little House on the Prairie – Season Five Deluxe Remastered Edition on Blu-ray, DVD and digital on 4/14 as well.

And finally, Redemption has set The Pete Walker Collection II for Blu-ray release on 4/21, including the films Frightmare, The Flesh and Blood Show, House of Mortal Sin, Home Before Midnight, Man of Violence, and The Big Switch. Those last two titles are exclusive to this box set.

Here’s a look at that final cover artwork for Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings (with Amazon pre-order links for each)...

In official release news, Scream Factory and IFC Midnight are releasing The Babadook on Blu-ray, Blu-ray special edition and DVD on 4/14. The regular Blu-ray and DVD editions will include 4 featurettes (Creating the Book with Illustrator Alex Juhasz, A Tour of the House Set, The Stunts: Jumping the Stairs, and Special Effects: The Stabbing Scene), plus theatrical trailers. To this, the special edition will add deleted scenes, director Jennifer Kent’s short film Monster, and director-approved limited edition “Pop-up Book” slipcover packaging (Note that – per Scream – the case wrap inside will be the art reflected on the standard Blu-ray edition). I’m really looking forward to seeing this film, as I’ve heard nothing but good things about it from friends who have. Here’s a look at the packaging (the image links to the special edition Blu-ray pre-order page on Amazon)…

By the way, IFC Midnight has also acquired the U.S. rights to the film Reversal from Dark Factory and will presumably release it on Blu-ray, DVD and digital later in 2015.

Shout! Factory, meanwhile, has set The Colbys: The Complete Series for DVD release on 5/12. The series stars Charlton Heston and Katherine Ross, among others. You’ll get all 42 episodes on 12 discs, plus new interviews with actors John James, Maxwell Caulfield, and Stephanie Beacham.

Here’s something that I think is a bit surprising: I mentioned yesterday that Universal’s The Andromeda Strain is coming out on Blu-ray on 2/17 as a Best Buy exclusive. Well it turns out that both Steven Spielberg’s Munich and Phil Alden Robinson’s Sneakers are going to be Best Buy exclusive Blu-rays on 2/17 as well. Given the fan demand for Munich, making the title a retailer exclusive is just crazy. Nevertheless, here’s the cover art and Best Buy pre-order links for all three...

This is interesting for classic film fans: Flicker Alley and Blackhawk Films have just announced that they’re releasing director Alexandre Volkoff and producer Joseph Ermolieff’s 1923 French serial The House of Mystery (La Maison du mystère) on DVD for the first time on 3/31.

Anchor Bay Entertainment has set Echoes for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/15.

Lionsgate has just set Manhattan: Season One for 3-disc Blu-ray release on 4/7.

Synapse Films has set Colin Eggleston’s Long Weekend for Blu-ray release on 4/14 (SRP $24.95). The film is mastered from a new high-definition transfer, will feature remastered 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound, and will include audio commentary with producer Richard Brennan and cinematographer Vincent Monton, a motion still gallery with an audio interview of actor John Hargreaves, and the original theatrical trailer.

Big World Pictures has set the acclaimed Brazilian drama Once Upon a Time Veronica for DVD release on 2/3.

And Warner Home Video has set Teen Titans Go!: Appetite for Disruption – Season 2, Part 1 for DVD release on 4/14.

Finally today, for you soundtrack fans, La-La Land Records has just made available their entire Star Trek: The Original Series – Soundtrack Collection in individual digital volumes on iTunes, Google Play and elsewhere. So if the entire series set on CD is too pricey, or you just want to buy the music from individual episodes, you now have that option.

Here’s a look at some more Blu-ray cover artwork (with Amazon pre-order links if available)...

All right, as you probably know, the Superbowl happens on Sunday. So... go teams! Everybody have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday.

It’s another slow day today in terms of announcement news, but we do have a few things for you…

Universal has set an Imitation of Life: 2-Movie Collection for Blu-ray release on 4/7. It will include both the 1934 and 1959 classic films in HD, remastered from the original 35mm film elements.

You may also recall that we mentioned Universal will release Silent Running and Journey to the Far Side of the Sun on Blu-ray Disc on 4/7. Well, they’re also releasing The Andromeda Strain on Blu-ray on 2/17 (for the first time in the States), but as a Best Buy exclusive. You can see the details here.

Meanwhile, Icarus Films will release The Way Things Go on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/14.

The BBC will release The Musketeers: Season Two on 4/21.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Miss Osbourne is coming to Blu-ray on 4/21 from Arrow Video, with Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace preceding it on Blu-ray on 4/14, as well as Massacre Gun on 4/7.

Arc Entertainment has set The Barber for Blu-ray release on 4/28, starring Scott Glenn.

And Cinedigm will release Song One, starring Anne Hathaway and Johnny Flynn, on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/24.

Finally today, I wanted to make a little pitch here in support of an old friend…

For the last couple of years, Mojo has been suffering from chronic, debilitating pain that’s made it hard for him to work regularly. This led him into an unfortunate pain-killer addiction after a doctor prescribed opiates as a treatment without really investigating the cause. Needless to say, Mojo’s been in a downward spiral. The good news is that he’s finally checked himself into the Glendale Adventist Medical Center for treatment. The bad news is that he’s been diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy – essentially it’s severe nerve damage that results in chronic phantom pain, numbness, tingling and burning sensations in his limbs, tremors and lack of coordination. It’s not curable, but it is treatable with the proper medical supervision. But while Mojo has been recommended to a secondary treatment center by the specialists, it turns out that his crappy health insurance isn’t going to cover it. And because he hasn’t been able to work much in the last year, he’s broke and he’s in danger of being kicked out of his apartment. So Mojo desperately needs financial help. His friends (myself included) are doing what they can, but I wanted to throw out the word to all of you in the online film geek community.

Also today, we wanted to let you know that Amazon.com is running a great deal currently on the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection on DVD. The SRP is $199.98, but Amazon has it for just $79.99 (or 60% off) right now. Keep in mind that many of these films were released previously only on DVD-18 “flipper” discs that have since gone bad as the bonding layer decayed. This new set includes them all on regular one-sided DVD-9 discs, so they should last much longer. Amazon is also running a sale today on the Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Blu-ray set. SRP is usually $149.98, but right now it’s selling for just $66.49 (or 56% off). Be sure to take advantage if you’re interested, and remember that doing so through our links helps support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it!

Back tomorrow with new announcement news and some more Blu-ray reviews as well. Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

]]>billhunt@thedigitalbits.com (Bill Hunt)My Two CentsWed, 28 Jan 2015 16:18:10 -0800Night at the Museum 3, Man with the Iron Fists 2, Silent Running & Journey to the Far Side of the Sun!http://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/012715_1215
http://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/012715_1215

In release news today, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has set Night at the Museum 3 for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/10. Details to follow. [Read on here…]

Sony Pictures would like you all to know that there’s been a street date for their newly-announced Foxcatcher... sort of. The disc versions are both still due on 3/3, but the digital HD release has moved from 2/20 to 3/3 as well.

Also today, Universal 1440 Entertainment and RZA are releasing The Man with the Iron Fists 2 on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/14. Extras will include deleted scenes, audio commentary with director Roel Reiné and executive producer and star RZA, and the Chi Warriors: The Making of Man with the Iron Fists 2 documentary. You can see the cover artwork below.

And hey, what do you know? Universal Studios Home Entertainment is releasing a pair of fine catalog sci-fi films on Blu-ray on 4/7, including Journey to the Far Side of the Sun and Silent Running! The latter will include audio commentary with Bruce Dern and director Douglas Trumbull, 4 featurettes (The Making of Silent Running, Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull, A Conversation with Bruce Dern, and Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now), and the theatrical trailer.

We’ve got some interesting announcement news for you all today. Let’s start with Sony...

Sony has officially announced the Blu-ray and DVD release of Foxcatcher on 3/3, with the digital HD release due on 2/20. Extras on the Blu-ray will include deleted scenes and The Story of Foxcatcher featurette.

Sony has also officially announced the Blu-ray and DVD release of the Oscar-nominated Whiplash on Blu-ray, DVD and digital HD on 2/24. Both disc versions will include audio commentary with writer/director Damien Chazelle and actor J.K. Simmons and the An Evening at the Toronto International Film Festival featurette. To this the Blu-ray will exclusively add a deleted scene and the original Whiplash short film both with optional commentary and the Timekeepers featurette featuring famous drummers talking about their art. [Read on here…]

Meanwhile, we have a quick heads-up for those of you who have been wondering (and asking): Warner’s Goodfellas: 25th Anniversary Edition BD will include English lossless audio on this release: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. That’s official and direct from WHV this morning.

Warner Archive has just set John Schlesinger’s 1967 film Far From the Madding Crowd for Blu-ray release on 2/10. The film stars Julie Christie and Terence Stamp.

In other news, Discotek Media/Eastern Star have announced their February slate, which includes “the complete collection of Flame of Recca, the complete OVA episode collection of Violence Jack, and the complete OVA series of Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers! All three releases will be released on DVD on February 24, 2015. Each title will feature English and Japanese audio and English subtitles.”

Also on the anime front, it appears that A.D. Vision is back and will be re-releasing some of its classic anime titles on Blu-ray in the months ahead, including (but not limited to) Patlabor: The Movie on 5/5/ and Ninja Scroll on 5/19.

Well Go USA has set Killers for Blu-ray release on 4/7, followed by Vengeance of an Assassin and Enter the Dangerous Mind on 4/14, and Supremacy on 4/21.

Lionsgate will release Son of a Gun on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/17, along with Revelation: End of Days on DVD that same day, and Housekeeping on DVD on 3/31.

And PBS Distribution will release Mass Extinction: Life at the Brink and Return to the Wild on DVD only on 2/24.

Well… we knew it was coming and now Paramount has finally officially announced the 3-disc Blu-ray Combo and DVD release of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar with a street date of 3/31 (SRP $39.99 and $29.99), with a digital release on 3/17. Disc One of the Blu-ray will include the film in 1080p HD (I’m working to confirm the aspect ratio), with audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. [Read on here…]

[Editor’s Note – I’ve confirmed with Paramount that the aspect ratio is variable from 2.35 to 1.78 for select scenes shot in IMAX.]

Disc Two of the set includes all of the disc-based bonus content, including an extended cut of The Science of Interstellar broadcast special, 14 documentary featurettes (Plotting an Interstellar Journey, Life on Cooper’s Farm, The Dust, TARS and CASE, Cosmic Sounds, The Space Suits, The Endurance, Shooting in Iceland: Miller’s Planet/Mann’s Planet, The Ranger and the Lander, Miniatures in Space, The Simulation of Zero-G, Celestial Landmarks, Across All Dimensions and Time, and Final Thoughts), plus theatrical trailers.

Disc Three is a DVD version of the film. And for a limited time, the Blu-ray Combo Pack will also include an authentic film cell from an original 70mm IMAX print of the film. You can see the official cover artwork above left and also below (with Amazon pre-order link).

Meanwhile, Discotek Media has set the 1999 anime Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade for Blu-ray release on 1/27 (SRP $29.95). Extras will include trailers and interviews.

Dark Sky Films has set Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/10.

Lionsgate has set Green Street Hooligans: Underground for DVD release on 2/24.

PBS Distribution has set Frontline: Firestone and the Warlord and A Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking: Season 2 for DVD only release on 2/3, followed by Tales from the Royal Bedchamber on 2/17. PBS is also releasing Earth: A New Wild on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/10.

And finally, here’s something interesting: After being the first country to see the Blu-ray release of Universal’s classic Battlestar Galactica and Galactica: 1980 on Blu-ray, Germany is now about to see the release of both seasons of Universal’s classic Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV series... sort of. Each season is set to street individually on the format on 2/17 in Germany, but in STANDARD DEFINITION. Here’s what the cover artwork looks like (linked to their pre-order pages on Amazon.de)…

Before you rush out to pre-order them (if you’re interested in SD on Blu-ray that is), do remember that these will probably be Region B locked and it will be in PAL format. However, we’ve already asked Universal if there’s any chance of this series coming to Blu-ray in the States in actual HD and we’ll let you know what we hear as soon as they get back to us.

We’ll leave you with more new BD cover artwork. Here’s a look at Interstellar and a few more titles. All are linked to their respective Amazon.com pre-order pages…

All right, so now it looks as if there are two Blu-ray versions of Fox’s The Sound of Music: 50th Anniversary Edition due on 3/10. The 2-disc edition we mentioned yesterday (SRP $24.99 but Amazon has it for $17.49) and also a 5-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition (SRP $49.99 but Amazon has it for $34.99). [Read on here…]

The 2-disc edition, as reported yesterday, includes the remastered film with 7.1 DTS-HD MA audio, the all-new Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration “immersive viewing experience with behind-the-scenes images, on-screen lyrics, trivia track and location quiz”, a Music Machine Sing-along, and audio commentaries with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and director Robert Wise (all on Disc 1), and (on Disc 2) the all-new hour-long The Sound of a City: Julie Andrews Returns to Salzburg documentary.

The 5-disc edition includes the same Disc 1 as above, and also Disc 2 (which is labeled Disc 3 in the 5-disc set), but has three more discs as well including the Musical Stages: Creating The Sound of Music all-new interactive “backlot tour” with in-depth featurettes on the songs, the stage show and movie, the film and sound restoration and the real-life von Trapp family, the A City of Song virtual map of filming locations in Salzburg, Austria, the vintage Rodgers & Hammerstein and The Sound of Music programs, screen tests, rare treasures, interviews, photo galleries and more (all on the new Disc 2), plus Disc 4 which is a DVD version of the film with SD video, an optional Sing-Along Track, the Music Machine Sing-along, and The Sound of Music Tour: A Living Story. Finally, Disc 5 is a CD with an exclusive 50th Anniversary Soundtrack "featuring a selection of international performances of SOM musical favorites."

So there you go. The 2-disc edition has blue highlights on the package, while the 5-disc edition has gold highlights. (See the artwork down below.)

In other announcement news, Warner Home Video has just set a Goodfellas: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray for release on 5/5 (SRP $34.99). It will include the film in HD mastered from a new 4K scan of the original camera neg supervised by Martin Scorsese, all the previous special features, plus an all-new documentary featuring interviews with Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Jack Nicholson, and Joe Pesci, and a 36-page photo book.

Speaking of Warner Home Video, we finally have a good look at what the Blu-ray and DVD cover artwork will look like for their TBA The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. You can see it down below. This is final packaging for Canada, so you can bet the U.S. art will be very similar. We’ve actually linked this art to the respective pre-order pages on Amazon.com (U.S.).

Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox has set Beyond the Lights for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/24, followed by Drumline: A New Beat on DVD only on 3/3.

20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation have also set Penguins of Madagascar for Blu-ray release on 3/17.

Magnolia Home Entertainment has set the Swedish psychological drama Force Majeure for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/10 (SRP $29.98 and $26.98). Extras will include AXS TV: A Look at Force Majeure and an interview with writer/director Ruben Östlund and actor Johannes Bah Kuhnke.

A quick update: We know many of you have been eagerly awaiting CBS’ release of the My Fair Lady: 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, featuring the film as newly restored by Robert A. Harris. The disc was set for release in December and has since been delayed. We’re told it’s definitely still coming. If I had to take a guess, maybe look for a release in the Easter time frame. We’ll post details as soon as we have them.

And finally today, for those of you who may have been waiting for the release of Spacecraft Films’ Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Operations Blu-ray, my friend Mark Gray (who runs the company and has been working tirelessly on the release for months) tells me it’s finally finished, replicated and is about to start shipping. I’m going to review it as soon as possible – it looks pretty terrific for NASA spaceflight enthusiasts.

Here’s a look at more new cover Blu-ray artwork for some of the titles mentioned above. Don’t forget that while the Hobbit art is Canadian, we’ve linked it to Amazon U.S. until we have final official art from WHV…

In other news today, we finally have what seems to be an official street date for Paramount’s Interstellar. It’s up for Blu-ray pre-order on Amazon with a street date of 3/31.

Sony’s Foxcatcher is also up for pre-order on Amazon with a street date of 3/3.

Also newly up for Blu-ray pre-order on Amazon from Warner Home Video: On the Town, Anchors Aweigh, Robin and the 7 Hoods, and a Frank Sinatra Collection – street date for all is 5/5.

Speaking of Warner, the studio has set the animated Batman vs. Robin for Blu-ray, DVD and digital release on 4/14 (SRP $29.96, $24.98 and $19.98). Extras will include “Batman vs. Robin” audio commentary, the Gotham’s City Secret: The Mythic Court of Owls and Talons of the Owl featurettes, a sneak peak at Justice League: Gods & Monsters, and “bonus cartoons from the DC Comics Vault.”

Warner has also announced Doris Day: The Essential Collection for DVD only release on 4/7 (SRP $79.98). The set will include 15 of her most iconic films as follows: April in Paris, Billy Rose’s Jumbo, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Calamity Jane, The Glass Bottom Boat, It’s a Great Feeling, Love Me or Leave Me, Lucky Me, Lullaby of Broadway, My Dream is Yours, On Moonlight Bay, The Pajama Game, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, Romance on the High Seas, and Tea for Two.

And on 3/10, look for Warner to release The Blade Trilogy on Blu-ray, as well as a Clash of the Titans set that includes the 1981 film, the 2010 remake and also Wrath of the Titans.

Meanwhile, Scream Factory has set Exterminators of the Year 3000 for BD release on 3/3. Extras will include audio commentary with actor Robert Iannucci, a video interview with Iannucci, and TV spots.

And Lionsgate has set Wahlburgers: The Complete Second Season for DVD only release on 2/17.

By the way, for some odd reason (possibly EON’s involvement) that John Barry Moonraker Kickstarter effort has been cancelled. Anyone who contributed is getting reimbursed. More details here.

We also have final cover artwork and details for Fox’s forthcoming Sound of Music: 50th Anniversary 2-Disc Edition Blu-ray due on 3/10. Look for it to include the remastered film with 7.1 DTS-HD MA audio, the all-new Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration “immersive viewing experience with behind-the-scenes images, on-screen lyrics, trivia track and location quiz”, a Music Machine Sing-along, audio commentaries with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and director Robert Wise, and (on Disc 2) the all-new hour-long The Sound of a City: Julie Andrews Returns to Salzburg documentary.

Here’s some Blu-ray cover artwork for you (click on the covers to pre-order on Amazon if possible)...

All right, in news today, Walmart has leaked details and cover artwork on a 2-disc Interstellar: Collector’s Edition, apparently due to street on 3/31, that includes “a 48-page art book featuring images and copy from the Interstellar coffee table book, plus an actual IMAX film cel cut from a 70mm print of the film.” Here’s what it looks like...

Meanwhile, while we’re still waiting on details from Warner on the Blu-ray release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, it looks like Target is going to have an exclusive version that comes with LEGO figures of Bard and Bain. It also appears that Best Buy is going to have an exclusive Steel book version. See here...

In official announcement news today, Sony’s Outlander: Season One, Volume One on Blu-ray arrives on 3/3 in both regular and Limited Collector’s Edition versions. The Blu-ray is a 2-disc set which includes all 8 episodes plus 21 deleted scenes, and 6 featurettes (Outlander: An Epic Adaptation, Authentic in Design: The Dresses & Kilts of Outlander, Casting Outlander, On Location: Castle Leoch and the Magic of Scotland, Emerging a Scot: Cast Goes to Bootcamp, and Walk Through the Sets and Stages with Ronald D. Moore). The Limited Collector’s Edition also adds “a 32-page book filled with photographs, excerpts from the scripts, an introduction from author Diana Gabaldon, and a packaging placeholder for Volume Two, allowing fans to complete their Season One collection.” Here’s what that looks like (click on the image to pre-order it on Amazon.com)...

Sony has also announced Blu-ray and DVD release of the Spierig Brothers’ time travel thriller Predestination, starring Ethan Hawke. Look for it on 2/10, with extras set to include outtakes, the A Journey Through Time featurette, and the 10-part All You Zombies: Bringing Predestination to Life documentary (which includes Introduction, Casting, Pre-Production, Photography: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and Post Production).

Lionsgate has set the futuristic action thriller Vice for Blu-ray, DVD and digital release on 3/17. The film stars Bruce Willis. Extras include audio commentary with director Brian A. Miller and actors Ambyr Childers and Bryan Greenberg, cast and crew interviews, and the Behind the Scenes of Vice featurette.

Also today, FUNimation has set Noir: Complete Series – Classic for Blu-ray release on 4/14, followed by Freezing Vibration: The Complete Series on Blu-ray on 4/21, and D-Frag: The Complete Series on Blu-ray on 4/28.

All right, it’s a slow day with the MLK holiday here in the States, but we do have some good stuff for you today.

Actually, today big news isn’t specifically Blu-ray-related, but it may have a strong bearing on a future Blu-ray release. Deadline Hollywood revealed over the weekend something we’ve suspected for many months now, which is that Fox is currently in negotiations to bring The X-Files back to TV, with creator Chris Carter and stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson all apparently involved. It now seems likely that a Blu-ray release of the recently HD remastered series is waiting on these developments. [Read on here…]

Meanwhile, we don’t have a street date yet but it appears that we do have actual temp cover artwork for the forthcoming Blu-ray release of Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings. The art indicates that the deluxe edition Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD are due to hit stores in Spring 2015. See the cover art below.

In announcement news, it appears that Mill Creek Entertainment has gotten the rights to release Orson Welles’ The Lady from Shanghai on Blu-ray on 3/17. No word yet if this is the same master that TCM released online as part of their TCM Vault Collection, but we would guess it is. You can see the cover artwork below.

Amazon is now taking pre-orders for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) on Blu-ray and DVD with a street date of 2/17. This will be a Fox release.

Warner Home Video has set a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: 10th Anniversary Edition for release on Blu-ray on 3/3 (SRP $24.98). It appears that the set will include a collector’s photobook and a letter from Tim Burton.

Based on Amazon listings, it appears that Shout! Factory is getting ready to re-release The Saint: The Complete Series on DVD on 4/21. This is the original Roger Moore TV series that A&E first released on DVD over a decade ago. This also is an ITV series, like all the Gerry Anderson Supermarionation titles that A&E used to have and which Shout! is now beginning to release on DVD. I’m just going to go ahead and call it right now: I’m betting that Shout! Factory is going to be re-releasing Space: 1999 – Season One on Blu-ray this year and will also release Season Two on the format when it’s finally available in HD closer to the holidays. We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve confirmed this.

Finally today, Matthew Grice – who as we mentioned last week started the Kickstarter to save re-record John Barry’s Moonraker score – now reports on Facebook that the effort has reached its goal: “The target for the new Moonraker recording has reached over £22,000. I like thousands of others are overwhelmed with how devoted fans are and may, just may make EON realize how much demand there is for the unreleased sound of Bond and makes me hopeful that we can get a substantial amount of signatures for the petition.” Good news indeed! Thanks again to Bits reader Tim H. for the link!

And here’s a look at the titles we’ve mentioned above, along with all the recently announced Criterion Blu-ray titles for April. Click on the covers to pre-order them from Amazon...

Speaking of Amazon, the retailer is also taking pre-orders for Walt Disney’s live action Into the Woods on Blu-ray and DVD on 3/24. In a bit of a Rumor Mill component, our retail sources are telling us to expect the Blu-ray to include audio commentary with the filmmakers, select song access, The Cast As Good As Gold featurette, and the multi-part Deeper Into the Woods documentary. We expect an official announcement soon.

And while we’re talking Rumor Mill-worthy information, our retail sources are also telling us to expect Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar to be released on Blu-ray in mid to late March (retailers in various international regions are showing street dates of 3/10, 3/24, and 3/31, so you can reasonably expect the final U.S. date to be somewhere in that timeframe). Australian retailers are also showing a 3/26 street date for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD, so the U.S. date for that will probably be 3/24 or 3/31-ish. Again, we expect official announcements from Warner very soon.

All right, Monday is a holiday here in the States, so we’ll see you back here on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!

There’s not a lot of announcement news today, but Universal has officially set James Marsh’s new Best Picture nominee film The Theory of Everything for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/17. Both versions will feature audio commentary by director James Marsh, the Becoming the Hawkings featurette, and deleted scenes. The film will be available digitally on 2/10. See the final cover artwork below.

Also announced today for music fans is Daryl Hall and John Oates: Live in Dublin from Eagle Rock Entertainment. Filmed at the Olympia Theatre on July 15, 2014, the concert will be available on 3/31 in DVD+2CD, Blu-ray and digital formats.

Finally today, here’s something interesting for you Bond fans: As some of you may be aware already, the master tapes for composer John Barry’s score for Moonraker have apparently been lost. But Tadlow Music boss James Fitzpatrick and Bond fans around the world have banded together on Kickstarter to have the complete score re-recorded by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The effort would be overseen by conductor Nic Raine, who worked with Barry back in the day. You can read more about all this here at The Yorkshire Post (thanks to Bits reader Tim H. for the link) and you can contribute to this worthy Kickstarter here.

We’ll leave you with a look at the cover artwork for Universal’s The Theory of Everything, as well the other Best Picture nominees that are now available for pre-order on Amazon (all but Birdman are – note that some street dates are TBA), and new John Hughes Yearbook Collection Blu-ray...